Our schools are still tops

Last year, parents, students teachers and staff at the Dolores School District celebrated when the Colorado Department of Education announced that the Dolores School District was accredited with distinction. This title was an honor well deserved and worthy of a hearty celebration. The title also put the Dolores School District at the top of school districts statewide ­- in the top 10 percent to be exact.

Recently, when accreditations were announced by the Colorado Department of Education, we learned that Dolores schools slipped a bit. Instead of earning the top title of "accredited with distinction," our school district earned the second-best title "accredited". That title is the goal of every school in the state and sadly, not every school earned that title.

Here are the titles handed out by the state:

Accredited with Distinction: The district meets or exceeds statewide attainment on the performance indicators and is required to adopt and implement a Performance Plan.

Accredited: The district approaches or meets statewide attainment on the performance indicators and is required to adopt and implement a Performance Plan.

Accredited with Improvement Plan: The district approaches statewide attainment on the performance indicators and is required to adopt and implement an Improvement Plan.

Accredited with Priority Improvement Plan: The district does not meet statewide attainment on the performance indicators and is required to adopt and implement a Priority Improvement Plan.

Accredited with Turnaround Plan: The district does not meet statewide attainment on the performance indicators and is required to adopt and implement a Turnaround Plan.

Despite slipping, Dolores still ranks in the top 18 percent of school districts statewide, and is at the top in Montezuma County.

All of this is thanks to a dedicated team of staff and teachers at the schools. And thanks to hard working students and parents.

This is all because Dolores is a great community, that pulls together when needed and because everyone is respected for the job they do and the people they are.